Bag with vacuum sealed valve closure



NOV. 27,- 1951 l |l| F WATERS 2,576,322

' BAG WITH VACUUM SEALED VALVE CLOSRE Filed July 5, 1947 iNvENToR Patented Nov. 27, 1951 BAG WITH VACUUM SEALED VALVE CLOSURE Harry F. Waters, New York, N. Y.

Application July 5, 1947, Serial No. 759,066 2 Claims. (Cl. 229-625) This invention relates to improvements in vacuum packaging and, more particularly to a ilexible container and a method and apparatus for imposing and maintaining a vacuiun thereon.

In the packaging of natural products such as nuts, flour, grains, and grain products generally, there is a distinct problem in keeping the products free from insect infestation, such as infestation by weevils. Also, in the shipment and storage of garments made from wool and animal libres, the prevention of damage by moths is of paramount importance.

It has lbeen found that if weevils, moths and their eggs and larvae are subjected to and maintained under a vacuum for a certain period, the insects and their larvae become dormant and are killed.

The present day equipment required for mothproong or treatment of natural products to inhibit or remove weevil infestation, is costly and space consuming and the moth-proofing and Weevil-prooiing processes are time and labor consuming. Furthermore, such methods are available only in large cities and industrial centers.

The problems of weevil infestation and like vermin infestation are particularly acute in the tropics, and are rendered substantially unsolvable due to the absence ofequipment and to unskilled labor which is universally employed.

It has now been found that individual packages of and materials, including semi1nished and nished garments which are subject to damage by weevil and moth infestation can be substantially minimized or even eliminated by packaging individual commodities or articles in vacuum-tight flexible containers and applying a vacuum thereto, which vacuum is maintained for at least the minimum period required to insure destruction of the infesting vermin, or to at least render them harmless.

The above and other desirable features of novelty and advantage are secured by utilizing vacuum-tight flexible containers of the type dis'- closed in my patents: 2,278,502 of April 7, 1942, and 2,281,187 of April 28, 1942, and providing such containers with an auxiliary vent and sealing aperture which is sealed after packaging and sealing of the mouth and pulling a vacuum on the container and its contents, a special means being provided for effecting a nal seal of the auxiliary vent.

The improvements of the present invention will best be understood by reference to the attached drawings in which Fig. 1 is an elevation of a flexible bag-like container with a sealed mouth and an auxiliary aperture with a vacuum sealing device approximated thereto, and

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing the sealing device apposed to and over the sealing vent.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a bag III having side walls II, bottom I2, a flattened neck I3, a mouth seal I4 and an auxiliary vent I5 covered by apertured strips I6, Il, applied on either side of the aperture I5 and being provided in turn with a central aperture I8. The aperture I8 may be substantially microscopic and is adapted to be covered `by a self-sealing patch I9. The bag Ill is preferably formed of laminated sheet material comprising an outer pervious cellulosic sheet Il and an inner impervious sheet or coating I I" of thermoplastic, or plastic-coated metal foil, the laminae being mutually secured. all as set forth in my patents above identified. The patches or discs I6, Il, and I9, are desrably made of regenerated cellulose sheet material provided with a pressure adhesive on one surface thereof, the adhesive coated faces of discs I6 and Il being in contact and the bottom surface of disc or patch I9 being coated with adhesive.

To secure a vacuum-tight, heat-sealed flexible package under conditions where heat-sealing equipment is not available, and particularly vacuum equipped heat-sealing machinery, the apparatus herein, which is hand operated, has been found to function satisfactorily. In operation, the bag I0, having been filled with an infested or potentially infested product, such as cashew nuts, rice, wheat, flour or other grains, has a Apair of opposed sides brought together, as indicated at I3, and the mouth sealed, as indicated at III, by any suitable means available such as a hot iron. A vacuum is pulled on the contents of the bag in the following manner; a flexible rubber cup or chamber 2li having a bottom edge 2|, a central boss 22 and a draw-off tube 23, is provided with a hand-operated plunger 24 mounted on rod or piston 25, the latter being provided with a button or control knob 26. The tube 23 connects with a duct 30 having branched arms 3|, 32, severally connected to gas line 33 and vacuum line 34 and controlled by valves 35, 38. The vacuum-pump, not shown, may be operated manually.

In operation, the cup or chamber 20 is forced down on disc I6 so that the latter, whose marginal edges are adhesively secured to outer sheet or lamina II', is adhesively secured to the adhesive surfaee of inner disc Il, Whose margins are adhered to the inner lamina or sheet II. With 3 the device 20 in this position, and plunger 24 lifted upwardly, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the valve 36 is opened, applying a vacuum through duct 23, device 20 and aperture I8, upon the interior of the bag I and its contents. When a suiiicient vacuum has been pulled, the plunger 24 is depressed by knob or handle 26 and the disc or closure I9 forced into adhering, sealing contact with the patch or disc I6 so as to close off the aperture I8 and seal off the bag. Thereafter, the vaoui is broken and the sealing device 20 removed from contact with the bag. Where desired, a gas such -as CO2 may be initially forced into the bag', usu,

ally before the sealing patch I9 is applied over the vent I8. After the bag has been thoroughly.

gasscd the head 2i! is removed, the patch I9 tacked or attached to one side ofthe tent IB. as illustrated, and the device 20 is again applied and vacuum pulled in the usual manner.

`The best results of the invention herein are attained by utilizing the cooperating, mutually adhering discs I6, I'I, whose margins e'xtend an appreciable distance beyond the aperture I in the wall of the bag. When these disc members I6, I1, are forced together, in and around the aperture I8, they s eal off the edges of aperture I5 and prevent infiltration of air into vacuum hamber 2B through the normally air=permeable outer layer II of the flexible container.v

It will be seen that there has been provided a novel method and apparatus for vacuum treating, herrntically sealed flexible containers withoiitrre'quiring Special machinery installations and Without requiring the use of electricity for electric heating or sealing elements. I

As noted above, the desirable results of the present invention involving the packaging of materials normally subject to weevil and/or moth infestation by vacuum treating of the packaged pri'idiiets'V vfor a sunicient period can be obtained by the Simple apparatus and method illustrated and described herein. Notably, the use of simple, adhesive=coated paper such as Scotch tape, give efficient results and permit the maintenance of vacuum forsuilicient periods to insure the desired results. With the 'adhesive surfaces or the disc or closure patches comprised of selfesetting thermo lastic materials incorporating suitable atalysts 'such as the organic peroxide/s, the seata ingof the auxiliary vent may be made s'ubstan tiall'y as effective as that of the main seal of the mouth. n y

additional feature o1" novelty and advantage o f the invention herein lies in the application of th special package and method of packaging 4 to the shipment of tools. instruments and other devices and articles which are subject to the corrosive eiects of moisture. The moisture vaportransmission rate of the container Walls and the closures for the auxiliary vent can be determined and suitable bag or container material used which exhibits the desired moisture vapor barrier characteristics.

With the improved container herein, the packages maybe opened and reopened as often as desired with the mouth seals made in the usual nianner and the auxiliary vent or vents sealed after pulling` the desired vacuum. This feature alone makes the package highly adaptable for military use, as was the plural-ply envelope and vaou'uni package of my patents noted above.

What I claim is:

1. A flexible bag container for vacuum packaging, including a main body having a relatively long mouth portion having coincident plies, the outer ends thereof to be heat-sealed after the body is lled, one ply of the mouth portion bef ing provided with an aperture, a two ply patch, one ply upon each side of the apertured'inouth ply and covering the edges of the aperture thereof and each of the plies of the patch being pro-i vided with a vent opening registering' with each other and the aperture, and a sealing patch to suction close the aperture of the outer plyrof the two ply patch after a vacuum has been released.

2. A nexible bag container as 'claimed kin claim 1 wherein the aperture of the mouthA ply is sumciently'la'rger than the vent openings' to permit a portion of one of the plies 'ofv the patch to enter same and contact the other ply of the patch.

HARRY 1'". WATERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following rfrences 'are f record in the nl of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date ,55,039 Baldwin May 29, 1866 314,839v Hazard Mar; 31, 1885 1,300,155 Freeman Apr. 8, "1919 -1-,3'3-7-,526 McColl et 'als Apr. 20, l192() 2,027,137.v Yoemans Jan. 7, 1936 2,281,187- Waters Apr. 28, 1942 42,283,069 Khu'etter May 1*-2, 1942 2,292,295 Royal Aug. 4, 1942 2,322,236 Ingram June 22, 1943 '2,335,159 salnsbe'rg Nov. 23, 1943 A2,344,369' Salflsberg Mar. 14, 1944 2,412,544 Waters Deo. l0, 1946 

